In amongst the excitement of E3 2014 last week and the release of the debut trailer for FIFA 15, we clean forgot to confirm the game’s release date and even blitzed over the first ever batch of screenshots for EA Sports’ upcoming football/soccer sim.

Let’s sort that out right now.

FIFA 15 is out on September 23rd in the US, and September 26th in Europe and the UK, across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.

EA says that “[a] version of FIFA 15″ will release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS and PS Vita, too, but if these other versions of the game are ‘Legacy’ editions (basically FIFA 14 with updated rosters and team kits), then we hope EA makes consumers keenly aware of the fact.

Check out the first screenshots for FIFA 15 below and leaf through the list of improvements and features that EA Sports is most proud of this year:

FIFA 15 – Screenshots

Emotional Intelligence

“With Emotional Intelligence, FIFA 15 models the emotional state of all 22 players on the pitch, giving fans a chance to experience first-hand the attitudes and personalities of the world’s best football players during a match.

“FIFA 15 players now have a range of emotions that evolve contextually throughout the game based on interactions with opponents and teammates.

“Each player has an attitude or feeling towards everyone else on the pitch and will react accordingly during the game’s events – frustration after missed passes, anger with hard tackles, and excitement when chances are taken are just some of the over 600 reaction animations that could tell the story of the game.”

Visuals

“In FIFA 15, Authentic Player Visuals come to life on a Living Pitch where everything is alive and the turf evolves at every step, plant, or slide. For the first time ever, the FIFA development team utilized physically based rendering to bring atmospheres and players to life, further blurring the line between the virtual and real world of football.

“The new rendering works in combination with a new player model and rigging system to make every athlete look and feel athletic, lean, and true to their natural form. FIFA 15 is played on a Living Pitch where boots and hard slide tackles will leave their mark as each match progresses; players will get mud and dirt on their kits.

“Agility & Control builds on step-based locomotion and delivers an all new level of responsiveness and control to FIFA 15. Tuned player biomechanics cause players to react and move with balance and closer control when in possession of the ball.

“Precise steps and turns at low speed, and closer control at high speeds will give FIFA 15 fans more control and increased mobility when commanding players on the pitch. New stutters and strides let you cut, sprint, and explode out of turns, and run touch dribbling gives players’ personality that reflects their real self.

“A new ball physics system models ball movement depending on the spin and the precise contact with the ball. The accurate movement of the ball, combined with the control of the player brings a new level of realism to dribbles, touches, passes, and deflections in FIFA 15.”

Man to Man Battles:

“Off the ball, Man to Man Battles transforms defending in FIFA 15. Players now use full-body defending to separate their man from the ball, while possession tackles will reward great defending, helping defenders keep the ball close to their feet when a challenge is made. New shoulder barges, shirt pulling, and big fall physics allow fans to feel the battle making dispossessing opponents more rewarding than ever.”

AI Decisions

“Opponents and Teammates in FIFA 15 now make decisions just like real athletes. New to FIFA 15, players now have short, medium, and long term objectives that they decide upon as a team and execute using Team Tactics.

“If a team is up by a goal, they might park the bus, or if they are down a goal, they might try to get it in the mixer to be more direct in attack and secure a last gasp winner. This, along with other Team Tactics and mentality choices, creates emergent and realistic gameplay moments that become part of every game.”